CS First is a free program that increases student access and exposure to computer science (CS) education through after-school, in-school, and summer programs. All clubs are run by teachers and/or community volunteers.

Our materials:

are completely free and available onlineare targeted at students in grades 4th-8th (ages 9-14)can be tailored to fit your schedule and needsinvolve block-based coding using Scratch

are themed to attract students of varied interests

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

Here's an after-school package all wrapped and ready to go. (Does anyone recall teaching basic and logo after school back before the turn of the century? 8-)

How can administrators, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders help build a culture of innovation in our schools? What can we do to support teachers in getting connected and pursuing meaningful professional development opportunities?

The number of recent popular press articles heralding a rising trend of digital game use in the classroom has made the team at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center wonder: just how common is this practice? And further, which teachers are choosing to use digital games in their teaching, what particular goals do they have for that game use, and what kinds of outcomes are they observing among their students?

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

This is an overview of a full research report available from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center.

Like pretty much everyone else in the field I've been immensely enjoying Tony Bates's work-in-progress, an online open textbook called Teaching in a Digital Age.

Having said that, I think my perspective is very different from his, and this summary post offers me an opportunity to highlight some of those differences. So in what follows, the key points (in italics) are his, while the text that follows is my discussion.

Requirements for this Position:MEd, MA TESOL or higher (do not apply without these credentials)1 or more years of overseas teaching experienceWillingness to share overseas teaching experience with studentsAble to use computer applications such as Moodle and WebExExperience with online learning and/or teaching

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

Here's an opportunity for those with the right combination of skills. This could grow into something good, especially if you are living overseas.

Are you sending out one job application after another, but not hearing back? A lackluster resume may be the culprit. As you’ve probably already heard, you’ve got about six seconds to catch someone’s eye (or be passed over), so having a resume that packs a punch and tells a great story quickly is key.

Not sure how to do it? My advice for getting beyond the first glance is this: SEO yourself.

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

Smart tips on how to market your skills. Resumes and job hiring realities have changed. Tune into the simple Search Engine Optimization tactics that can get your resume noticed.

Unfortunately, some students are not motivated by grades. Yes, this includes your brightest kids. Some kids could get an A on any test you give them, so they do not see the need for homework. Why do an hour of work every night when they know they are going to get an A on the test? Now you have a student who gets Fs on all his homework and As on all his tests. It turns into a C average, and he doesn’t care. How do you motivate him to do more or do better? The old-fashioned way – you give him a badge.

We are seeking instructors and Subject Matter Experts for the following graduate level courses:Corporate Finance (FIN-550)Risk Management (FIN-685)Financial Modeling (FIN-691)Qualifications Minimum qualifications:Ph.D. in the discipline you desire to teachorDBA with a Master's degree in the discipline you desire to teachCurrent relatable business experience requiredCollege level teaching or training experience a plus

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

If college-level teaching or training us a plus, knowing how to teach online should be a big gold star on the resume. 8-) I've heard a lot of good things about SNHU. Looks like they are growing their program.

edTPA Scorer Qualifications - All scorers are recruited and selected because of their documented experience both with beginning teachers and with subject-matter content. The criteria for selecting and training scorers are rigorous and include:expertise in the subject matter or developmental level of the teaching field (degree and/or professional experience);teaching experience in that field (or experience teaching methods courses or supervising student teachers in that field); andexperience mentoring or supervising beginning teachers, or administering programs that prepare them.edTPA Scorer Commitment - Scorers must complete a training curriculum that includes about 19 to 24 hours of online modules, interactive web-based sessions, and scoring of several qualification portfolios. Face-to-face training opportunities are also being developed for some fields. In addition to completing the training, scorers are expected to score a minimum of 8 edTPA portfolios within a month depending on the number of submissions. The total number of edTPA portfolios available to each scorer will vary based on the volume of candidate submissions.

While many teachers are excited about the maker movement and may even be creating projects for their classrooms, assessment can be puzzling even to veteran classroom teachers. How can teachers prove that deep, rich learning is occurring through making? How do we justify a grade to students and parents alike, especially to the student who "just isn’t good at art"? By crafting a three-part rubric that assesses process, understanding, and product, teachers can rest assured that they are covering all the bases.

Dr. Reshan Richards: "Each of these approaches allows teachers and learner to capture and create moments of learning, excerpts of understanding, and reflections of experience. Let’s pretend to be one of my 5th-grade math students from last year participating in an activity about tessellating patterns. The activity was to figure out what individual shapes, when arranged in a flat pattern with touching sides, formed a closed tesselating patter (a regular tessellation). This activity involved using physical manipulative objects (pattern blocks), a piece of paper to document findings (journal workbook page), and NCTM Illumination’s Tessellation Creator website as resources for engaging in the experience of exploring regular tessellation. Here’s how the QFAT could be applied to this activity with an iPad."

Using the right questions creates powerful, sometimes multiple answers and discussions. Aristotle said that he asked questions in response to other people’s views, while Socrates focused on disciplined questioning to get to the truth of the matter.

From the article: “Using the right questions creates powerful, sometimes multiple answers and discussions. Aristotle said that he asked questions in response to other people’s views, while Socrates focused on disciplined questioning to get to the truth of the matter.” Organizes the 50 metacognition questions into the following categories: Reflection & Collaboration, Self-Reflection, Reasoning, Analysis, Connections, Literary Questions, Science and Social Questions.

So what’s a teacher to do? If you plan lessons that involve students using online programs and apps, you’re likely to hit the campus firewall or possibly even risk compromising your students’ privacy. Yet, if you keep your lessons offline, you know you’re missing a huge opportunity to engage students by using technology in meaningful, real-world ways. Well, never fear, because we’ve got all of the answers you seek. Follow these steps to get your class online and using popular apps, without worrying about keeping student data private.

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

Review the 5 Steps for Protecting Student Privacy now. Save a great deal of time and heartache later.

EDUC 762 931 Assessment in E-learning March 2 - April 24, 2015 Instructor: Jim Erbe "I found this class to be immensely gratifying, and my mind is full with new ideas, new concepts and new ways to assess students that I either shrugged off as ‘it will never work’ or simply didn't think to consider."~ Kristina Vines, Technical College Instructor/Program Chairperson Surgical Technology

EDUC 646 Using Games for Learning and Assessment March 30 - April 24, 2015 Instructor: Dr. Susan Manning "The games course took instructional design to a whole new level by the use of learning tools that truly engage the learners. "~ Joni Burgin Ed.D., Superintendent, Grantsburg School District

“Whitespace,” or “negative space” is the space between elements in a composition. More specifically, the space between major elements in a composition is “macro whitespace.” Micro whitespace, is—yes, you’ve guessed it—the space between smaller elements: between list items, between a caption and an image, or between words and letters. The itty-bitty stuff.

So what does whitespace do?

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

This vintage (2007) article explains the importance of whitespace in web design. When we read online our brains crave easy to scan text that doesn't overload the senses. It's a basic lesson that every instructional designer and online teacher should take to heart.

Required coursework is also infused with TESOL training, technology, and the use of assessment activities that include the development of a professional portfolio. Applied classroom knowledge is offered through field-based experiences incorporated into each required course. Programs being offered for this online teaching opportunity can be viewed at http://online.stu.edu/education/.

Reports to: St. Thomas University

Desired Attributes/Qualifications: Ph.D./Ed.D. in the appropriate discipline or related field. Experience working in the education field as a practitioner in any grades, Preschool through 12 preferred. Qualified experience teaching online and working with adult learners required. Previous college or university-level teaching experience preferred. Commitment to support the mission of St. Thomas University. Commitment to culturally-responsive teaching practices and experience with diverse student populations. Official transcripts for all degrees must be received by the university prior to employment.

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

Those with a Ph.D./Ed.D and e-learning skills have the edge when applying for this interesting e-job.

Is it time for you to measure the effectiveness of your training programs? If you’re not sure where to start, these Top Ten Training Metrics can help.

Measuring the effectiveness of training is a very difficult task, for stakeholders, training departments and end users. If you are a training manager or company stakeholder looking for ways to measure the effectiveness of your programs, these ten metrics are a great place to start.

Dennis T OConnor's insight:

Corporate point of view-- excellent source for Instructional Designers!

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Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.